


For You I Could Fly

by SterlingAg



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Wings, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-06-04 18:39:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6670039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SterlingAg/pseuds/SterlingAg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where others are the reason your feathers grow, Kei discovers that sometimes the feathers don't fall out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For You I Could Fly

“Kei!” His mother called from the living room.

“What Mom?” Kei replied, looking up from the dinosaur puzzle he was putting together in the kitchen. 

“I’m going upstairs, don’t stay up too late all right?”

Kei moved his eyes back to the puzzle and counted the number of out edges on the piece in his hand.

“Okay.”

“And,” his mother’s voice was quieting as she moved up the stairs, “Don’t forget to preen before you go to bed. Tomorrow is your first day at that new middle school and I want you looking your best for the opening ceremony.”

“Okay Mom,” Kei sighed in agitation before stretching his wings out behind him so the feathers could space while he sat there. He didn’t know why his mom thought he was going to get more feathers come this school year. So far his experience was the only people who gave him feathers were his family and Yamaguchi. Kei didn’t expect that to change in the slightest with the new school.

In this world, one is born with wings. Historians don’t know for how long this has been happening. Scientists don’t know why it’s happening. It’s natural and nobody questions it. The only odd thing about it is that your wings don’t mature based on physical growth. Wing size and the amount of feathers you have depend on how much people love you. When someone loves you or has any sort of affection towards you, you’ll find that your wings will become thick with feathers. 

A full set of feathers is the standard of beauty so those with large, heavily feathered wings are favored over others. Perhaps this isn’t healthy for the emotional health of those without wings, but people say that eventually you’ll have more feathers than you know what to do with. There hadn’t been war for quite a few centuries. The idea that to get love you must give love had become the ethos that most followed.

Of course, it also worked in the reverse. When love was lost, so were the feathers. Stories were all over the news and in magazines. Woman finds stash of husband’s lost feathers after waking up alone. Celebrity relationships not continuing when they realize the feathers on their partners are artificial. Scandals. Break ups. Heartache. 

Kei didn’t need any of that. He was going to play volleyball like his brother and large wings just got in the way of that. Using wings had been outlawed in sports some time ago when a ring of athletes was busted for false wing enhancement through nefarious means as ways of increasing their skill. Each sport had special harnesses that players had to wear in order to incapacitate the usage of wings. 

Volleyball’s harness strapped around the hips to keep the tips of wings in place so height and hang time couldn’t be added to jumps. There was also a set of straps that made sure wings couldn’t be used to boost speed. For the most part, the harnesses around the hips kept wings from being extended and that fixed most issues of unfairness between players. However the harnesses were also for safety. They kept wings out of danger of being injured or broken or even accidentally injuring other players. 

Sometimes volleyball careers were short lived ones. Since the wings got fuller when players became popular, it becomes difficult to move quickly about the court. There were players who had to continually train in order to keep up with the growth of their wings due to affection from fans. Sometimes there were stories of athletes having their wings clipped in order to continue to play. Those didn’t go well since the fans felt they were being rejected and players could lose their support. 

Playing sports was generally more trouble than it was worth. Kei didn’t care about that though. He was going to follow in his brother’s footsteps. Akiteru had the most gorgeous snow white feathers. There were some light brown speckling on them with a few thick bars along the tips of his wings. The underside had soft down that Kei remembered snuggling up in as a child. Ever since Kei could remember Akiteru’s wings had been full and wonderful, showing just how loved he was. Kei would always smile when Akiteru would show him a new bout of feathers when they came in.

“See these?” He would say, happiness in his eyes, “These are from you Kei.”

“How do you know?” Kei’s fingers would softly preen over the feathers.

“Because they’re special. Look at how healthy and nice they are. It’s because you love me that much.”

“You’re my brother, of course I love you.”

“Someday you’ll be able to tell the difference. When you start getting feathers in from someone who truly loves you, you’ll know right away.”

Kei’s nose always scrunched up, “That’s gross.” Then he found himself being squashed under Akiteru giving him a noogie. They would laugh.

 

“See!” The small boy yelled in wicked triumph. He waved the player roster in front of Kei’s shocked face. “There isn't a regular named _Tsukishima_!”

“Okay okay!” Yamaguchi snapped back. He pushed the other boy away, “We get it!”

The other boy, accepting his win, huffed away in his own agitation. His brother also wasn’t a regular on the team, despite being a third year. The same situation as Kei’s older brother. 

Akiteru who had practiced with him in the backyard. Akiteru who needed three lunches a day for volleyball practice. Akiteru who said he was the team’s ace. Akiteru who now stood in the bleachers standing stock still as he stared at his brother from across the court.

The elder’s wings had been outstretched in excitement as he cheered on his team. They had immediately drawn in when he caught sight of his brother on the other side. He could only watch stunned as Kei turned and moved towards the stairs, a kid that had to have been Yamaguchi following after him. 

“Tsukishima?” Asked the girl to his left noticing his sudden silence, “Are you okay?”

He didn’t answer. Akiteru couldn’t focus on anything besides the tell-tale itchiness of feathers coming out. 

That night in the shower Akiteru stood under the spray. The itchiness had consumed his wings and if he didn’t know better he would think he was molting. Or had parasites in his feathers. But the only sickness affecting him was Kei’s sudden shock. Akiteru hit his fist against the wall of the shower. What had he been thinking? Of course Kei would find out, he’s a smart kid. All that time Akiteru had been lying to him. To Kei–the one person he cared about the most. And he’d hurt him in the worst way. 

He didn’t feel like he had the right to be upset, yet he still found tears mixing with the water from the showerhead. Slowly, he stretched his wings. He wept as the cool air started to get between the spaces where some of the most gorgeous feathers he had ever seen had once been. Feathers swirled in the shallow water at his feet and he felt sick to look at them.

Kei ran his fingers across his wings. It may have looked as if he was playing a harp. His own feathers were a light, yellow-brown nearly caramel in color. His fingertips lightly brushed across the feathers, pulling at them until they flicked back into place. There were feathers that were a bit glossier than the others–feathers he had eventually identified as being from Akiteru. Kei let his hand linger over one of those feathers. His fingers tightened around it.

Then he pulled.

It stung and Kei winced, his wing also curling in slightly. There wasn’t any blood and Kei was almost disappointed. None of the feathers he’d gotten from Akiteru were new so they didn’t have any blood in the shafts. Kei grit his teeth and pulled another out, then another, and another. There were patches in his wings that were missing feathers, some obvious and others not so much. He kept his wings tucked tightly against him for the next few weeks. He never once looked at Akiteru’s wings.

 

“We’ll get you all fitted with harnesses by the end of the week,” Daichi said to the four first years. Hinata and Kageyama were still glaring daggers at each other. Yamaguchi clasped his fingers in front of him looking meek and unsure. Kei had his hands on his hips and his wings slightly stretched. His back hurt from school that day and getting used to sitting in the high school’s chairs. 

“Don’t get too attached to these harnesses though, they’re mostly temporary.” Daichi continued.

“Why is that?” Yamaguchi asked.

Daichi’s face split into an easy grin, “As you practice and get to know everyone, they also get to know you. You’ll more than likely start seeing new feathers by the end of the month.”

“Team feathers!” Hinata squawked excitedly, wings spreading as if they could channel his energy through them. Kageyama pushed at the wings crowding into his space with a sour frown pulling at his eyebrows. Kei spared them a sideways glance, catching Yamaguchi looking at him nervously. Kei let out a huff and crossed his arms over his chest. His wings pulled in a little. He didn’t need any new feathers–he didn’t want them. You only gained feathers to lose them, Kei thought, so what was the point of getting them at all?

When Kei’s harness didn’t fit two months later, he scowled at it. Even though he did feel that it meant his teammates were relying on him. Somehow, he had found a place in their hearts that was important enough for him to have new feathers. Secretly, he hoped those feathers were there to stay.

 

“You’ve all worked hard today,” Daichi said over the sound of dinner. All the other teams had gathered in the cafeteria to eat too. It was a little wild with five full teams that had tons of loud boys in them all together in one room. Boisterous laughter came over the din every now and then.

“Tomorrow is going to be even harder so be sure to eat plenty and get in bed before it gets too late. Clean your harnesses and also properly take care of your wings. We don’t want anyone getting sick or anything.”

“Yessir!” Was the small collective yell from the team. Many continued to eat, some excused themselves for the bath, and others just chatted amongst themselves. Hinata was already getting close with the setter from Nekoma.

“Our wings are the same size! Do you ever get bullied for having smaller wings?” Hinata droned on and on. The setter, Kenma, had his wings out a little for some stretching in the crowded room. His wings were a dark brown with small speckles of ash-white in them. Hinata’s orange-brown wings extended out, the tips brushing with Kenma’s. Not that the setter minded much.

Kei finished his food and put his tray in the return slot. He said a quick thank you to the managers working in the background before leaving. As he was leaving, another loud laugh filled the air. Against his will, he looked up towards the sound. The owner was the captain of Fukurodani. His wings were extended almost fully behind him, an off-white speckled with dark grey spots and bars across the tips. He was such a loud personality and his wings were full of feathers. Kei absently wondered just what his harness must be like.

He blinked when he felt eyes on him. His gaze was drawn to the source of the feeling. Nearby Fukurodani’s captain sat the captain of another Tokyo team, Nekoma. Keen dark chestnut eyes looked at him from across the room. Kei felt himself glued to the spot. The male’s lips pulled into a smirk that peeked out from under the hand holding his chin up. His wings were pulled in, not taking up too much space but too large to not be noticed. They were some of the blackest feathers Kei had ever seen. It was almost ironic he wasn’t on the Karasuno team with wings so similar to a crow. As Kei turned to leave the room, he thought he saw red reflecting from the feathers in the man’s wings.

 

When Kei started to notice darker, softer feathers starting to appear in his wings he didn’t understand. It was the first time he had ever seen feathers like that. They weren’t like the feathers he got from his parents or his teammates. Or even from Akiteru. They were gorgeous and when he looked at them his chest tightened and his heart thudded in his chest. It didn’t make sense.

These feathers made Kei nervous.

Two weeks later, Yamaguchi stared at Kei as he changed before practice.

“Tsukki,” he asked, “Are you dating someone right now?”

“Ha?” Kei turned, one eyebrow practically in his hair.

Yamaguchi motioned with his head towards Kei’s back, “Your wings.”

“What about them?”

“They look–” Yamaguchi pulled his head through his shirt, carefully pushing his wings through the slits in the back, “Beautiful.”

Kei’s wings stretched automatically at the praise. He cursed himself and pulled them back in tightly as if he could hide them behind his back. Kei harshly put his shirt on, punching his wings through the slots. Turning away he hoped that Yamaguchi couldn’t see the blush on his cheeks.

“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” he hissed, slamming his locker shut. Yamaguchi frowned and quickly trotted out after Kei as he left.

 

The summer was never a good time for Kei. Being so tall meant he had wings proportionate to his size. Which meant that they were long and heavy. Recently they’d become even hotter thanks to the mysterious new feathers coming in. The entire underside was practically those darker feathers. Kei also noted that they never fell out. Not even once since he started to get them had a single feather of that kind fallen out. 

So having to go to Tokyo for the summer training camp had been awful. The bus ride with everyone cramped, wings crammed in close to their bodies. Having to wear the harnesses for hours on end. The summer heat. It seemed like the only refuge Kei could get was at night once practice was over. Which is why he found himself sitting outside on a grassy hill near the third gymnasium. He could still hear some people doing extra practice.

Kei let out a huff of breath, stretching his wings out. The cool night air blew through his extended feathers ruffling them against each other. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around his knees that were pulled to his chest. In that position, he could take some pressure off his back from having worked all day. Not even the bath had relaxed his muscles. Just as he was starting to catalogue the sounds of the night time bugs around him, there was a voice.

“Oh? Glasses?” Feet softly thumping up the hill and through the grass.

Kei opened his eyes to glare at who had disturbed him. His gaze fell on a form silhouetted by the moon behind them. Kei squinted against the glare in his glasses. The person flopped down next to him on the hill. They exhaled and stretched their legs out. From the new vantage point Kei could recognize them as Nekoma’s Captain, Kuroo Tetsurou.

“It would be better to have practice at night,” Kuroo sighed. The conbini bag crinkled as he rummaged around in it. A moment later he produced two ice cream bars. He held one out to Kei as he opened the other with his teeth.

“You like strawberry?” Kuroo asked. 

Kei slowly took the treat and stared at it, “I do.”

“Go ahead,” Kuroo said before taking a bite of his. Kei eventually opened it and took a bite of the bar. They sat in silence for a second, the sounds of practice dying out.

The stick hung lazily from Kuroo’s mouth. He chewed on it absently as he stared up at the sky.

“You’ve really grown since the practice matches,” he commented. 

Kei’s eyes slid towards Kuroo. There had to be a condition following the statement. When there wasn’t, Kei frowned.

“But?”

“Hm?” Kuroo turned and looked at Kei, “But?”

“Is there some kind of critique you want to give me?”

“Oh, huh,” The captain sat forward a bit. His wings stretched with the position and the tips of their wings brushed. Kei suppressed a shiver that went down his spine.

“I guess maybe put your arms more forward?” Kuroo demonstrated what he meant, “You put your hands over your head and they should be more in front of you. That way you can have more strength in your block.”

Kei nodded, turning the tip over in his head. Kuroo continued to look at him even afterwards and Kei felt uncomfortable under the gaze.

“Is there something else?” Kei asked eventually.

“Game-wise? No.”

Kei waited. Kuroo seemed to be chewing on what he wanted to say next. It seemed uncharacteristic of the captain.

“Otherwise,” Kuroo began, “Can I have your email?”

The two stared at each other. Then Kei realized he had heard him correctly.

“I’m sorry?”

Kuroo pushed a hand up through his hair, “I didn’t get a chance to talk to you during the practice matches really. So I want to get to know you more. I mean I know it might be kind of hard since I’m in Tokyo and you’re up in Miyagi but–”

“Do you like me?” Kei asked abruptly. Things were starting to slide into place. The feathers started to appear after the practice matches. That meant that it had to be someone he met at that time. He still didn’t completely understand what was going on.

“I think you’re beautiful.” Kuroo answered honestly. In the darkness, the blush on both their cheeks couldn’t be seen but they looked away from each other as if it could.

“Sorry that was–” Kuroo cleared his throat and pulled his wings in. 

“No it’s okay.” Kei shook his head, “But I don’t really know anything about you.”

“That’s why I was hoping we could talk more.”

Kei searched Kuroo for any insincerities. He looked back at Kei, eyes not wavering even for a moment. A thought passed through Kei’s mind that all the feathers that had come in were due to Kuroo. All that time, without even having talked to him, and yet still those feathers had come in. Another thought passed where Kei wondered how quickly those feathers could fall out. He pushed that away and stored it somewhere that he wouldn’t have to think about any time soon. 

After what seemed like hours, Kei pushed a breath out of his nose. He stood from the hill and flexed his wings. The settled behind him not too large, but also not hidden. 

“I don’t have my phone,” Kei said. Kuroo’s wings drooped.

“But,” Kei continued, “I almost always have it during lunch.”

Kuroo’s smile could be seen even by the light of the moon. 

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow?” Kuroo asked.

Kei turned to walk back to the dorms, “Goodnight Kuroo-san.”

“Goodnight–uh–”

“Tsukishima Kei.”

Kuroo stood, “Goodnight Tsukki.”

Kei didn’t even mind that Kuroo had already taken to the nickname.

 

One month after the summer training camp ended, Kuroo was preening his wings for the first day of his final semester of high school. His hands paused over a few feathers. Excitedly, he grabbed his phone and snapped a photo.

The message alert played through Kei’s music and he looked down at the screen. He opened the message and read it. It was a picture message from Kuroo. The picture was of Kuroo smiling in front of his wing stretched behind him. His hand not holding the phone was pointing to a cluster of feathers. They were a deep, jet black but had streaks of brilliant rusty red shooting through them. 

_Love you too ^3^_ read the message. 

Kei blushed deeply and locked the screen. That didn’t stop the small smile from curling up his lips though.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this post](http://inkskinned.com/post/138673319039/in-another-world-when-you-are-loved-you-grow#notes) ! I might consider expanding this after I finish with a few other projects I have in the wings right now. Let me know what you think!


End file.
